


Painted Confidence

by QueenKatelynTheAristocrat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Gryffindor & Slytherin Inter-House Friendship, Hogwarts Inter-House Unity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 13:46:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14309976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenKatelynTheAristocrat/pseuds/QueenKatelynTheAristocrat
Summary: "They were in this situation because Draco had decided that Harry, as his serious boyfriend, needed to spend more time getting to know his friends in order to soothe existing animosities. Draco had said those words. Exactly those words."In other words, Harry Potter has a serious conversation with Pansy Parkinson after having been temporarily abandoned by his boyfriend in the Slytherin dungeons.





	Painted Confidence

They were in this situation because Draco had decided that Harry, as his serious boyfriend, needed to spend more time getting to know his friends in order to soothe existing animosities. Draco had said those words. Exactly those words. 

Harry had replied, “Animosities still exist between  _ you  _ and  _ my  _ friends, despite repeated exposure.” 

Draco had not been impressed. He’d merely continued down the hall towards Transfigurations and countered, “I beg to differ. I can now stand to look at a Weasley -- watch out Hufflepuffs, some people that have  _ sense  _ are also trying to use this hallway, thank  _ you  _ \-- without saying something insulting. It is an amazing improvement.” 

Harry, after smiling apologetically at a group of minorly traumatized Hufflepuff girls, had said, “You called Ron a poverty-stricken carrot just last night!” 

Draco actually, physically, stopped in the middle of the hallway -- after having just been difficult to someone  _ else  _ regarding their foot-traffic etiquette -- and turned around to face his stubborn Gryffindor. He’d then said, “He was acting like a poverty-stricken carrot. Also, I managed to  _ look at  _ him for almost an hour before I said it. It is an improvement,” before pivoting back around and grabbing Harry’s hand to drag him away from the angry traffic mob he’d just created behind them. 

“So since you’ve just admitted that the mere exposure effect isn’t nearly strong enough to cure this level of dislike,” Harry began, “you’re forced to conclude that I do not have to accompany you and your friends on what is called a ‘Slytherins’ Night Out’ this evening.” 

Draco had paused again, but he refrained -- despite his deep annoyance -- from causing yet another traffic jam and had continued on, merely affirming that, “No, Potter. You are spending time with my friends. This is final. I will not hear any more arguments to the contrary.” 

Harry had just sighed and rolled his eyes where Draco couldn’t see him. “Fine. But don’t call me Potter. It makes me feel like being stubborn with you.” 

Draco had just sent him a smirk over his shoulder. “You wouldn’t dare try to out-stubborn me.” 

Unfortunately, arrival at Gryffindor-Slytherin Transfigurations had stopped all further conversation on the matter. Even more unfortunately, Draco was right. Not even the great Harry Potter could possibly out-stubborn him. 

And that was how Harry found himself leaning against the cold wall in the Slytherin Girls’ Dormitory listening to Draco, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini reference a series of inside jokes that he couldn’t possibly understand, while waiting rather impatiently to be acknowledged either by his boyfriend -- who hadn’t looked at him more than twice since dragging him in here -- or by one of the other Slytherins present. 

“Now, Draco, darling, who don’t we try to seduce?” Pansy asked innocently, packing what looked like all the makeup she owned into a bottomless travel-sized cosmetics bag. 

Now, of course, Harry was listening. 

“Shut up, Pans.” Draco said, staring at the ground. If Harry hadn’t known better, he’d say his boyfriend was  _ embarrassed.  _

“Surely you remember, it wasn’t all that long ago.” Pansy continued, relentlessly. 

“I most certainly  _ don’t  _ and even if I  _ did,  _ last summer was a very long time ago.” Draco replied, seemingly aware, at least, that his partner was in the room and listening. 

Blaise smirked and decided to join in, “We don’t try to seduce straight bartenders, Draco, because  _ as we know _ it doesn’t tend to work.” 

“Even when they look ‘absolutely delicious’ and are ‘amazing at what they do’.” Pansy concluded and burst out laughing. 

Draco’s eyes widened comically. “ _ Stop  _ bringing that up, it was  _ one time.”  _

“It was one, absolutely and amazingly  _ hilarious  _ time, that’s what it was.” Pansy teased. 

“It was not hilarious, it was awful. He was totally leading me on.” Draco said, driving Pansy to another fit of hysterics. 

Draco seemed to shake off the memory and threw his head back, locking eyes with Harry and stalking toward him. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” he said, “Because this time I have my own sexy green-eyed man and don’t have to go searching for another.” 

Harry smirked and pulled him in for a kiss, just like he knew Draco wanted. He supposed spending time with the Slytherins wouldn’t be too bad after all if it drove his boyfriend to acting like  _ this.  _

“Nope!” Blaise exclaimed “You will not snog Potter in my presence! It is not allowed.” 

The lovers separated reluctantly, Draco giving his friend an exaggerated pout. “Weasley says the exact same thing about  _ Harry  _ snogging  _ me.  _ Where am I supposed to snog him, then?” 

“Perhaps not in either of our presences then! Never thought I’d agree with the likes of him…” Blaise answered, leading Draco into a well-practised friendly banter. 

Pansy caught Harry’s eye and gave him a knowing smile. Harry wasn’t quite sure what to do with that; it wasn’t like he and Parkinson got on very well ordinarily. But he supposed Draco’s ridiculous dramatics were something they could bond over.

“Oh shit, we forgot about Theo!” Blaise suddenly exclaimed.

Draco rolled his eyes, “Merlin, you’re right. And here I was wondering why his arse wasn’t here yet. Pans, are you coming?” 

She looked up from her magnificently large bag of cosmetics and raised an eyebrow. “No, I am not going with you to break Theodore out of detention. I still need to put on my  _ face. _ ” 

Draco gave her a look but said, “Fine. Watch my boyfriend for me, would you?” 

Harry was aware that he, himself, was the one being referenced.  

Pansy looked as if taking on such a responsibility was a great burden, but said, “Fine. I would never let something of yours get lost in the dungeons.” 

“Thanks, Babe. Bye Harry!” Draco said, blowing a kiss -- presumably at both of them -- before taking off after Blaise down the hallway. 

The moment they were gone, Pansy let out a sigh of long suffering, and said, “Come on, Potter, let’s go.” 

“Go? Where are we going?” Harry asked, already moving to follow Pansy out the door. The Slytherins may kid, but he really didn’t want to get lost in the dungeons. 

“The Ladies’ Restroom, of course.” Pansy tossed nonchalantly over her shoulder. 

“No. Absolutely  _ not.”  _ Harry stopped in his tracks. 

Pansy, however, did not pause for a second. “Absolutely  _ yes. _ As established, I need to do my face, and I bring Draco in here all the time, it’s  _ fine.”  _

“It is not  _ fine.”  _ Harry replied. 

“It will be empty at this time of night,  _ anyway.  _ You will follow.” Pansy returned. 

Harry, of course,  _ followed  _ because all these Slytherins were too alike for their own good: painfully stubborn. 

So  _ now  _ Harry was leaning against the counters in the Slytherin Girls’  _ Bathroom  _ and watching Pansy smear tan colored stuff all over her face with some sort of brush. The lighting was rather dim, other than the fact that the mirror had some sort of charm which radiated seemingly natural light onto whomever was looking into it. It gave everything a rather eerie feel, reminding Harry that they were, in fact underground. He could even see glow in the dark fish swimming in the lake through the glass wall across from him. 

“You know, Draco is rather fond of you.” Pansy said, breaking the silence. 

Harry thought this was a rather odd way to begin a conversation, but he supposed women like this didn’t generally waltz around the point. 

“I do know.” Harry admitted, “He’s rather fond of you as well.” 

Pansy smiled as if she herself were less certain of a particular blonde boy’s affections and was glad to have them reaffirmed. “I suppose you’re wondering ‘Why on earth?’” she said softly, as she got out some colorful powders and smaller brushes. 

“I wasn’t.” Harry replied, but hoped he didn’t sound guilty. 

He didn’t think he succeeded, because Pansy met his eyes in the mirror with another of those knowing smiles. He wondered how she could pull them off so well. 

“Draco is my oldest friend, and I’m his. Our mothers were friends as young women, and are still close today. I love him -- in a platonic way, don’t worry -- more than I love my own soul.” Pansy revealed. 

“Forgive me, but you don’t act like it.” Harry said, thinking that if they were telling the truth they might as well tell the entire truth. 

He regretted it, however, when Pansy paused in applying green powder to her eyelids and took a deep breath. Perhaps he was pushing too far. But no, she started dabbing the brush again until both eyes matched, then put down her brush, trading it for an even smaller one and a container of black liquid. 

“People’s actions don’t always match up with their feelings. We both know how Draco acted around you in previous years. He told me the truth, though, as he’s finally told you.” Pansy answered, then took on a look of intense concentration as she applied a thin line of black above her eyelashes. 

Harry -- a considerate man at heart -- gave her a moment to complete what seemed like an incredibly difficult task before continuing their conversation. Once her eyes were completely ringed with black, he said what he’d been holding back for the last minute. 

“But Draco is very insecure.” 

Mirror-Pansy gave him a look of intense amusement. 

“We both know he is, don’t look at me like that.” Harry defended. 

“You misunderstand my meaning.” Pansy said, picking up a strange, sea-creature looking brush and dipping it in the black stuff, which she began to coat onto her eyelashes, “I was not doubting Draco’s daddy issues and severe lack of self-confidence. I was merely wondering what relevance they had to the conversation.” 

“Well, I mean that he has an excuse. He acts mean and icy as a defense. But  _ you’re  _ the most confident person I’ve ever met.” 

Pansy stayed silent until she finished her eyelashes and picked up a larger container of tan powder and the biggest brush yet. 

“I may seem confident,” she said, smiling at him in a very honestly self-revealing way, “But sometimes confidence is…” she paused to dip her brush in the powder and begin applying it to her face, “merely painted on.”  _ Now  _ she smiled like a woman who had just said something very clever and absolutely knew it. 

“So you’re telling me that all Slytherins have daddy issues and a severe lack of self-confidence and I should operate under this assumption from here on out.” Harry concluded.  

Pansy laughed. “No.  _ Blaise  _ has absolutely no daddy issues and is  _ actually  _ the most self confident person you will ever meet. Don’t doubt  _ him  _ for a minute.” She picked up a tube of purple stuff and began applying it to her lips. 

“Noted.” Harry said, not really knowing what else to say. 

This was alright, because Pansy wasn’t finished. “Just, I am well aware that Draco is very fond of you, and you are well aware that Draco is very fond of  _ me.  _ I am also of the opinion that he needs both of us. And we could get along quite well with each other.” She capped her purple stuff and turned to face Harry, looking completely different from when she started, but also weirdly the same. “Let’s try to let go of the past and do that, ok?” 

Harry knew there were many ways he could answer this question. He knew that he had many reasons not to like the falsely-confident dark-haired woman before him. But then, he thought of Draco and knew the only real answer to her question was, “Sounds like a brilliant idea.” 

The smile Pansy gave him after that was big, bright, and unequivocally  _ real.  _

“Alright then, “ she said, “since that’s been settled, you can help me find that lot before they get themselves into too much trouble.” 

“Deal.” said Harry, and they turned to finally exit the Girls’ Bathroom. 

They didn’t have to look very far, however, because the moment they walked back into the hallway, Draco came running from the other direction, right into Harry’s arms. “Harry, I found you!” he said, clinging to his boyfriend’s shirt. “Excellent. Pansy, you too! Perfect. Now we can leave before Filch and his evil cat catch up to us!” 

Blaise and a distinctly terrified looking Theodore Nott came running down the hallway from the same direction. The time between his words and their arrival gave Draco a chance to study his boyfriend’s expression just a bit closer. “You look happier. What’s happened?” 

Harry exchanged a knowing glance with Pansy. “Nothing. I’ve just decided that spending some time with your friends will be good for me after all.” 

Draco smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “Brilliant! Then we need to go, now.” 

“Understood.” 

With that, they exited the castle, feeling as sense of newly-born camaraderie that would only strengthen with time. 


End file.
